11. CFC Website Staffing Discussion

[Lyle Craver]

Publicity Coordinator Bob Armstrong heads up this discussion

[Fred McKim]

The Cooperative Chess Coalition ( CCC ) has raised this issue and had it put on the agenda for the 2011 Fall Meeting.

Fred has advised CCC the budget has no funds set aside for any part-time paid website staffing. Currently Fred as a volunteer is working with Resolution on the tweaking of the website. But what happens if Fred can no longer do that?

And what happens when Resolution's contract help ends, and CFC has to deal with unexpected problems? Do we need some type of part-time " Web Maintainer " specialist? Or what if CFC wants to do something different to the website? Will we have someone who can change things on the website, or introduce new items?

And what about the " style " of the website. Do we need a part-time " Web Editor ", who will make sure all text, etc., are uniform, since we now have a number of different people who are administrators, and can post. If styles vary, then the website will start to look less professional. Finally, we are looking for a new CCN editor. Is there any thought to coordinating the newsletter and the website, to make the website more " dynamic " ( this might be revisiting the idea of a webzine as part of the new website ). And then the staff funds for the newsletter might be able to help with the website staffing needs?

Bob A, CCC Coordinator

[Christopher Mallon]

Merging the newsletter and website jobs is a very very very very bad idea.

It's okay if they are held by the same person I suppose, but they are not remotely close to being the same job, so any hiring processes should be completely separate.

[Lyle Craver]

I agree with Chris. Having done both newsletters and websites for other non-profits I think that letting one person do both is an almost sure prescription for burnout within a year

[Christopher Mallon]

There is that, too. I was thinking more along the lines of competencies.

On to the original question though. I think that this is really something that should be handled by the office, but that contract is up to the executive.

[Fred McKim]

The situation at present is that we can get Gerry to do any of the web related activities that were part of the contractor's job prior to the new website.

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Chris & Lyle:

Would it be possible to look at different part-time people for:

a) Webzine ( former newsletter ) Editor;
b) Website Maintainer ( the technical job - glitches; introduction of some new feature, etc. )?

Secondly, would the Webzine Editor be able to be assigned the task of monitoring all website posting, to maintain a uniform and professional style ( to effectively also be a " website editor " )?

Thirdly, would the executive director under the outsourcing contract be able to do all or part of a " website maintainer " position?

Fourthly, is there any benefit seen to returning to a " webzine " format?

Bob A

[Michael von Keitz]

The discussion centered around the possibility of allowing crossover between the newsletter and website editing jobs. This was unanimously declared as a bad idea. Follow-up questions presented by Bob Armstrong to Chris Mallon and Lyle Craver remained unanswered.